>> The Dark Knight
>> Hellboy II: The Golden Army
>> WALL-E
>> Get Smart
>> The Incredible Hulk
>> Sex and the City
>> Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
>> Speed Racer
>> Iron Man
>> Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

Opening 7.23.08
>> Boy A (Limited) (R) [trailer]

Opening 7.25.08
>> Step Brothers (R) [trailer]
>> The X-Files: I Want To Believe (PG-13) [trailer]
>> American Teen (Limited) (PG-13) [trailer]
>> Brideshead Revisited (Limited) (PG-13) [trailer]

Coming To DVD 7.22.08
>> 21 [buy]
>> Spaced: The Complete Series [buy]
>> Robot Chicken: Star Wars [buy]
>> Las Vegas: Season 5 [buy]
>> Kiss of the Spider Woman [buy]

Quick Links: Opening Night | June 7 | June 8 | June 9 | June 10 | June 11 | June 12 | June 13 | June 14 | June 15 | June 16 | Closing Night

The 9th Annual CineVegas Film Festival was held June 6-16, 2007 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The Festival was sponsored by the Palms Casino Resort, the Greenspun Media Group, Vegas.com and Condé Nast Traveler. Robin Greenspun serves as the festival’s President, Dennis Hopper serves as the Chairman of the Creative Advisory Board and Trevor Groth serves as the Artistic Director of CineVegas.

The “Ocean’s Thirteen” premiere was my first Red Carpet event. I was terrified I would have to ask silly questions like “Who did your wardrobe for the movie?” and “Who was your favorite lunch partner on the set?” Would I have the opportunity to ask Al Pacino if he was ever going to do “Scarface 2?” I don’t know about you, but I always believed Tony Montana survived the bloodbath.

Al skipped the Las Vegas premiere.

CineVegas Opening Night Screening of Ocean’s Thirteen. Benefiting The International Rescue Committee for Not On Our Watch, the stars of Ocean’s Thirteen came to Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 6th in front of the Palms Casino Resort main entrance. Producer Jerry Weintraub (CineVegas Vanguard Producer Award Winner, 2007) and stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon (all pictured), Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin and Andy Garcia walked the Red Carpet for the charity premiere.

Also walking the Red Carpet were Carrot Top, Wayne Newton, Dennis Hopper (Chairman of the CineVegas Film Festival with his wife Victoria, pictured) and Trevor Groth, Artistic Director of CineVegas.

Since 1998, the CineVegas Film Festival has sought to prove that it is “The World’s Most Dangerous Film Festival.”

The International Rescue Committee for Not On Our Watch, is an organization whose initial campaign is to support existing Darfur humanitarian relief efforts and to ensure the protection of civilians in that region. Festival President Robin Greenspun (pictured below) presented Weintraub and Not On Our Watch with a check representative of the proceeds of the festival’s fundraising efforts.

Sudan, the largest country in Africa was jointly colonized by England and Egypt from 1899 until its independence as a republic in 1955. Since independence, Sudan has been running the longest civil war in the world - 38 years. Approximately, 40 percent of the population is Arab and 60 percent are African. According to the CIA Fact Book, the religious makeup of Sudan is as follows: Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), and indigenous beliefs 25%.

I made up a list of inappropriate questions I never asked. I thought about asking George how many Sudanese he had personally fed, and asking Matt if Casey Affleck wears a wig in real life. And while I kept telling the other reporters that I would ask Pitt if he and Angelina were looking for a third for another one of their threesomes, I lost my nerve when coming face to face with him. No one looks like Brad Pitt. He’s a walking masterpiece. Some young fan/reporter suddenly standing next to me grabbed Pitt and put her arm around his neck for what appeared to be 10 minutes. Later, I asked her what she whispered in his ear.

Hey, I couldn’t blame that girl for trying.

Thursday, June 7. Only two films were screened Thursday evening: “The Grand” which held its Red Carpet event, screening, and after-party at The Golden Nugget; and, at the Brenden Theatres, the terrifying “The Devil Came On Horseback.” Brian Steidle is the subject of this documentary film directed by Annie Sundeberg and Ricki Stern. Steidle and co-director Sundeberg were on hand for a Q&A after the screening.

What would you have done if, in 1943, you saw 1000 photographs secretly taken inside Auschwitz? Former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle spent 6 months as a military observer with the African Union in Darfur, Sudan. The Arab Muslim-led Sudanese government is accused of genocide against its black African citizens in Darfur. Sudan’s two-decade civil war is being waged between the Arab Muslim north and the south, where mostly black Africans live. The photographs are horrifying. Steidle went public with his photographs and has become a spokesperson for the Save Darfur movement.

Why is Save Darfur a white-led movement? (As shown in the film, the Save Darfur rally held in Washington, D.C. appeared to be only attended by white people. Annie Sundeberg agreed with me when I brought this up to her. She hopes audiences notice this.) Why aren’t middle-class black Americans rising up and privately funding projects to support the 2.5 million displaced black Africans now in refugee camps in neighboring Chad?

Why is George Clooney the celebrity face of Save Darfur? Where are Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, and Denzel Washington?

The film is designed as a humanitarian project and is not making a political statement. Steidle said the conflict is not about religion, it is about ethnicity. However, if the Arab Muslim government is wiping out the black Africans in Darfur and the Western World is ignoring this fact, are we – by not acting – supporting Arab Muslims in the region?

According to an article in The Washington Post, “Darfur is home to some of Sudan's most devout Muslims, in a country where 65 percent of the population practices Islam, the official state religion.” The most provocative key in “The Devil Came On Horseback” is a black victim of the genocide asking, “Where are the Muslims of the world? Why aren’t they helping us?”

Friday, June 8. The press was told on Thursday to come in at noon on Friday to pick up press passes for each day’s screenings. There were rumors around the Press Room that there were special “All Access” press passes (“the yellow dot”) for a chosen few. With over 300 press people credentialed with the usual demands, I made up my list for the screenings I wanted to see, took what passes were given to me, and stayed out of the way.

I was there at 12:30PM for the 3:30PM screening of “The Grand.” Only two press passes were given out earlier in the morning for the sold-out screening. Since I had to stay around until 6:30PM for a screening of “Bad Habits,” I decided to see “Ocean’s Thirteen.”

If you thought “Ocean’s Twelve” was bad, wait until you see this.

“Bad Habits.” Mexican director and co-writer Simón Bross‘s (pictured) brilliant debut “Bad Habits” is a fascinating look at a group of women each struggling with food. Elena (Elena de Haro) is obsessed with losing weight to the horror of her husband, who is turned off by her anorexic body. Her sweet, young daughter Linda is fat and no matter how much encouragement Elena gives her, refuses to stop eating. I sympathized with Elena, knowing how cruel I am to fat people. When I see fat children, I blame the mother. Elena also knows how society treats fat people and she is looking out for Linda. However, no matter how many diets or programs Elena finds for her daughter, the child loves to eat. Elena cruelly freaks out on her daughter.

Elena’s husband Gustavo starts an affair with a nubile student. All they do is eat desserts and have sex. He has abandoned his wife and daughter to his own lust. Linda’s teacher, Matilde (Ximena Ayala, pictured), is a young nun who is also obsessed with food. All the nuns have food issues. She believes she can stop the deluge of rain hitting Mexico by self-mortification. She stops eating. There are rain-makers, why not rain-stoppers?

Every woman in “Bad Habits” is obsessed with food. This is a strong, important film with religious shading that offers several interpretations. And Bross and his co-writer Ernesto Anaya give Linda a very strange way out of her problem with her mother. I loved it! This is a very personal, revealing film and Bross will be recognized as an important director.

Since I spent a lot of time before, in-between, and after screenings at the Conde Nast Traveler Lounge at the Key West Ballroom at the Palms Casino Resort and the Press Room, I can say that “Bad Habits” was everyone’s outstanding favorite film.

“Viva.” The audience did not know what to expect and we were all shocked by the outrageous full-frontal nudity. (Just goes to show how sophisticated we are here in Las Vegas!) Taking place during the sexual revolution of the 1970’s, a bored housewife decides to explore her sexuality – all done in lavish color, high camp songs, wild wigs and costumes, and a Russ Meyer-style sexploitation appreciation for full-figured women. And remember, the 70’s was before boob jobs and bikini waxing.

Anna Biller, “Viva’s” writer, director and star is divine! She is completely entrancing and a sensational new female character ready for her Hollywood close-up. We need Biller to change the view that actresses must be 19 years old and 95 lbs.

Does Nicole Kidman look like anyone from The Planet Earth?

Abandoned by her husband, Barbi (Anna Biller) is encouraged by a girlfriend (Bridget Brno) to explore her sexuality. With a fresh naivety and a what-the-hell curiosity, Barbi becomes “Viva” and enters the world of casual hooking, nudism, the hippie scene, an outrageous orgy, bisexuality, sadism, drugs, and bohemia – and doing all of it topless!

Biller captures the corny sexploitation genre with an uncanny eye. Biller is also an accomplished director. As a true woman’s director, she gives herself and her female co-star, sensual close-ups. The men do not fair so well. Biller and all of her cast were on hand for the screening and Q&A afterwards. One question asked that was on everyone’s mind: “How many of the players are in the adult film industry?” Biller answered, “None.”

Saturday, June 9. I submitted a request to see “All God’s Children Can Dance” but it was declined. I was put on the “wait list.” However, I lucked out with the terrific “Eagle Vs. Shark” and then asked Nicolette Aizenberg of Miramax Films for an interview with its young director Taika Waitit (pictured), who was making his first visit to Las Vegas. The Press Room was talking about what a nice guy Taika was.

“Eagle Vs. Shark” is from New Zealand and is a wickedly offbeat love story – a romance between a shy, withdrawn girl and a weird, socially awkward guy. “Eagle Vs. Shark” is the original vision of writer-director Waititi. Lily (Loren Horsley), a lonely oddball and fast-food waitress happens to be in love with Jarrod (Jemaine Clement) a creep hell-bent on plotting vengeance on a bully from his high school past. Lily goes to Jarrod’s annual “Dress as your favorite animal” party as a Shark. Jarrod is dressed as an Eagle. Lily accompanies Jarrod to his family’s house so he can confront the bully who ruined his life. While there Jarrod dumps Lily because he’s too busy “training” for his payback mission.

I asked Waititi if Jarrod, so aptly drawn, was modeled on anyone he knew (I have certainly met a few guys who could not talk to a woman without unintentionally saying something completely offending). Waititi said the genesis of “Eagle Vs. Shark” was Horsley. He wanted to work with her on a film and asked her what kind of character she would like to play.

The character of unlikable Jarrod – who never really changes but there is some hope – is played by Jemaine Clement, who will soon be seen in the new HBO series “Flight of the Conchords.” The series follows the trials and tribulations of a two-man, New Zealand digi-folk band as they make their way in New York City. The band is made up of Bret McKenzie on guitar and vocals, and Clement on guitar and vocals.

Sunday, June 10. “Throwing Stars” and “The Fifth Patient”

“Throwing Stars.” Director Todd Breau’s “Throwing Stars” is about four childhood friends all suffering major life setbacks. Mark, Bobby, Laith, and Hutto are in their 30s and, while none of them are living at home with their parents, they are clinking to their frat-boy delusions and committed only to their friendship. Mark, a failed doctor who is now supporting himself by making crystal meth for a dealer, kills the dealer in a melee and asks his best friends for help disposing of the body. One of CineVegas’ Artistic Director Trevor Groth favorites, “Throwing Stars” is certainly likely to be released in theaters after it’s film festival run.

“The Fifth Patient”. In a Third World African hospital, a man named John (Nick Chinlund) wakes up with no memory of who, or what, he is. John is being held as either a CIA operative or is suspected of being the head of a terrorism network. Director and writer Amir Mann’s psychological study is an ambitious, interesting trip through the netherworld of international terrorism.

Chinlund’s portrayal is first-rate and enthralling (though I’m tired of seeing anal-retentive Peter Bogdanovich play a character he has claimed as his own.) A complex, mature film, Mann should have been called in as “Ocean’s Thirteen” script doctor.

The CineVegas evening event was held at the TAO Beach at The Venetian Hotel.

Monday, June 11. “Never On A Sunday.”

The director Daniel Gruener told the audience his film was based on a true story and almost everything was true. Julio Salas dies after a long illness, but it is Sunday and due to financial difficulties, his family is forced to contract the services of a modest funeral home for a cremation. The owner kills some dogs and sells Julio’s corpse to a university. Julio’s nephew steals the corpse from the university and has to lug it around. He demands that Julio’s body be cremated but the mortician refuses. His feud with the funeral director is complicated when he falls in love with the owner's unhappy daughter.

“Never On A Sunday” is a fearless black comedy with grotesquely hilarious situations. It also is a look at Mexican life usually not seen. While rather long for a U.S. comedy, 125 minutes, it was necessary, since the complications of what to do with Julio’s corpse keep mounting. Only a religious country like Mexico could make a black comedy about death and cremation.

I submitted a request to see “Kurt Cobain About A Son” but it was declined. I was put on the “wait list.”

The CineVegas evening event was held at the fabulous Observation Deck of the Stratosphere Hotel & Casino sponsored by Las Vegas Weekly.

Tuesday, June 12. “Have Love, Will Travel” Inspired by the filmmaker’s personal experience driving “Private Dancers,” “Have Love, Will Travel” follows two couples, one new and vulnerable, the other experienced and bitter, as they navigate L.A.’s underground world of sex, fast money and dancing!

Whitney and her driver-bodyguard Nathan are a pair of reluctant newcomers seduced by the lure of easy money, who are partially guided by an experienced couple, Eve and Sonny. The other couple are burnt out yet trapped by both their livelihood and each other. Rather than just walk away, they continue going from job to job and wrestling with their decisions, trying to avoid the nasty perils that come with the territory. Writer/director Dan Peterson portrays honest characters with motivations and experiences culled from his own insider’s view in a raw and revealing way.

The CineVegas evening event was held at Revolution Lounge at The Mirage Hotel. At midnight, a Vidjoe Rodeoe by TV Sheriff was held at the Rockhouse Bar at Imperial Palace.

Wednesday, June 13. “La Vie En Rose”

The most-anticipated film of the Festival and truly breathtaking. Co-Writer/director Olivier Dahan’s “La Vie En Rose” has a blazing performance by Marion Cotillard as the legendary French icon Edith Piaf (pictured). Sifting time periods, emphasizing Piaf’s hardscrabble childhood of poverty and abuse, Dahan delivers a starling biopic without redemption or whitewashing the facts. Piaf's life was a tragedy waiting to happen: her childhood as the daughter of a circus acrobat and alcoholic prostitute, being brought up in a brothel, singing on the streets and her discovery by a nightclub owner, to her passionate affair with a married boxer. His death led to Piaf’s years of drug addiction (and that is just her teen years!).

Cotillard (pictured) is a revelation delivering the performance of a lifetime, undergoing an astonishing physical transformation. There’s not a pretty moment here, especially as Piaf pre-maturely ages. Dahan incorporates Piaf’s legendary songs, and ends with her most famous one, “Non, je ne regrette rien," into the story. At the early age of forty-seven, in 1963, Piaf died of cancer on the French Riviera. “La Vie En Rose” is a must-see film and has my vote as Best Foreign Film of 2007!

After leaving CineVegas to see a promotional advance screening of “A Mighty Heart” in Summerlin, I went to CineVegas’ evening event held at The Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino. The Foundation Room is an expensive, secluded club and members have privileges at all the House of Blues Foundation Rooms located throughout the country.

Thursday, June 14. “Phantom Love” and “Blue Velvet”

“Phantom Love.” A tortuous, narcissistic film by Nina Menkes. I found the following on Menkes’ IMDB.com bio: “Called "Brilliant, one of the most provocative artists in film today" by The Los Angeles Times, Nina Menkes synthesizes inner dream-worlds with harsh, outer realities. Her six films (four full length features) are a body of work Sight and Sound has called "Controversial, intense and visually stunning."”

Lulu (Marina Shoif) works in a casino in Los Angeles' Koreatown. The film spends a lot of time showing the back of Lulu’s head as she watches TV, files her nails, looks out a window, stares into space, puts on makeup, and endures 40-minute sex-pounding by a nasty lover. Lulu’s sister Nitzan (Juliette Marquis) is crazy and lives in filth and has two dogs. Lulu answers the phone. This is Menkes’ attempt to mimic “Eraserhead” meets “Repulsion” but without a story. My hope is that CineVegas’ Artistic Director Trevor Groth went to college with Menkes.

I then took off for a promotional screening of “Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer.” It’s a kiddie movie and the Silver Surfer doesn’t have a penis.

Thursday evening was a big night for movie fans who faithfully line the Red Carpet for a glimpse of stars. At 7:00 p.m. there was a Red Carpet event for “In the Land of Merry Misfits.” The stars who walked the Red Carpet were the film’s director Kevin Undergaro, and cast members Maria Menounos, Danielle Weeks, Randal Malone, Orji Walflauer, John Comerford and Joe Gear.

At 9:30 p.m., before the screening of “Blue Velvet,” director David Lynch and star Dennis Hopper walked the Red Carpet and thrilled the sold-out audience with a generous Q&A before the screening.

“Blue Velvet.” When David Lynch was honored by CineVegas last year, he chose to screen his daring masterpiece “Eraserhead.” With Dennis Hopper now an important part of CineVegas, it is terrific to see his iconic performance as Frank Booth in Lynch’s classic masterpiece, and one of my favorite films, “Blue Velvet.”

When a college student (played by Lynch’s alter-ego Kyle MacLachlan) returns to his hometown, he finds a severed ear and decides that finding the owner would be exciting. He finds a very troubled woman (Isabella Rossellini) and a group of evil misfits, and his world is changed forever.

Who can forget Dean Stockwell’s karaoke rendition of “Sandman”?

Before Quentin Tarantano resurrected John Travolta’s career in “Pulp Fiction,” Lynch rejuvenated the career of Dennis Hopper, who will always be remembered for his performance as Frank Booth wailing “Baby wants to f**k!” Booth is a terrifying psychopath, but what happened to him? That is what is so horrific and sympathetic about the character – what nightmare created this monster?

No one asked David Lynch about his TM Foundation. Lynch is the founder and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace. The David Lynch Foundation aims to raise $20 million to help spearhead programs in meditation at inner-city schools – several of which have already begun – and to provide scholarships to university students for basic instruction in TM. The Washington Post reported that Lynch’s foundation dispensed about $1.6 million in the first few months of its existence – $400,000 of it from his own pocket. Introduction | David Lynch Foundation

The CineVegas evening event was held at the bars of Planet Hollywood sponsored by Vitaminwater at the Heart Bar, Extra Bar and Living Room.

Friday, June 15. “Conversation & Clip Reel With Charlize Theron” and “Conversation With Anthony Hopkins.”

My press requests to attend “Conversation & Clip Reel With Charlize Theron” at 3:00 p.m. and “Conversation With Anthony Hopkins + Slipstream” at 6:00 p.m. were declined. Once again, I was put on the “wait list.” So I brought a ticket to see Charlize Theron since I agree with Roger Ebert that her performance in “Monster” was the greatest performance in the history of film. No questions from the audience were taken. I would have liked to ask Theron if she intended to delve so deeply again into another role.

The French poet and musician Serge Gainsbourg said, “Ugliness is in a way superior to beauty because it lasts.”

It’s a sweet idea – if you are born ugly.

Theron’s role as Aileen Wuornos in “Monster,” the notorious female serial killer, not only required that she take on a fearless physical transformation (people didn’t even realize it was her) but also inhabit the soul of a woman seeped in personal suffering and brutality.

It is truly a magnificent performance, but the moderator from Maxim’s magazine barely mentioned Theron’s triumph. Theron showed clips from her upcoming films, and praised one in particular, the film written and directed by her boyfriend Stuart Townsend called “Battle in Seattle.”

The 2007 CineVegas Half-Life Award was presented to Theron by Cadillac. A clip from Theron’s new film “Sleepwalking” with Dennis Hopper was shown.

And Sir Anthony Hopkins? I brought a ticket. CineVegas honored Hopkins with its annual Marquee Award. The demand was so great that the event was over-sold. My husband, who had a ticket (I had a pass & ticket), never made it.

Along with a “Conversation,” there was a screening of Hopkins’ “Slipstream.” “Slipstream” is Hopkins’ debut into independent filmmaking. The Academy Award-winning actor wrote, directed and stars in this surreal story of a screenwriter that turns strangely hallucinogenic.

The American Film Institute named Hopkins’ iconic role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter the top movie villain of all time. My favorite Hopkins’ movie is, of course, “Magic.” Another favorite of mine is Hopkins’ role title role in Julie Taymor's brilliant Shakespeare adaptation “Titus.”

In my imaginary tête-à-tête with Sir Hopkins, I would ask him about his numerous past threats to quit films (how come it was “Titus” that pushed him over the edge and not “Meet Joe Black”?) and his marriage to middle-aged Buddhist and antiquities dealer, Stella Arroyave, who now produces and acts in his films!

Everyone wants to act - even my deceased mother - who I told: “You’ve been dead for five years. I can’t get you a Hollywood agent!”

I will admit my mother does have a terrific “Casket Head Shot.”

Hopkins was a fabulous, engaging and a quite generous guest. He had so many wonderful antidotes! He was so honest and forthcoming! He did an impression of “Fats,” the dummy he worked with in “Magic,” and Sir Lawrence Olivier. When the moderator mentioned “Nixon,” Hopkins said that James Woods reassured him not to worry and that his performance was working. Woods told him: “Great German accent.” And as for Hannibal Lecter? He preferred the first one and didn’t really like the two sequels he did. He said: “There is an erotic quality to villains,” and Lecter was more terrifying locked in a cell than walking around Europe.

Hopkins refused to say what “Slipstream” was about since he really didn’t know. I know exactly what it is about. It is Hopkins’ rage against movies and how fake images and real, more important images collide in our everyday life. All his regret and anger about making movies is in here. And, being it is Sir Tony’s first project, even the extras are movie stars!

Saturday June 16. “Conversation with Mike Newell”.

I got a pass for this! CineVegas presented its Director’s Vanguard Award to Mike Newell, best known for directing “Four Weddings and A Funeral.” Newell also directed “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” We were treated to a clip reel of Newell’s films, including my favorite, “Donnie Brasco.”

We were also shown 15 minutes of Newell’s newest film opening in November, “Love in the time of Cholera.” I have not read the novel – I only read non-fiction – and the film adaptation looks fantastic. What a love story! Newell spent seven months in Columbia making “Love.” Newell told interesting stories about the reality of Hollywood filmmaking. My press requests to see “Penelope” and the CineVegas Closing Night Film, “You Kill Me,” were declined. I was again put on the “wait list.”

Closing Night Festivities. The lavishly produced VEGAS Magazine held its fourth year anniversary and private affair party with a live performance from American Idol runner-up and June cover model, Katharine McPhee, on CineVegas’s Closing Night at Mandalay Bay Beach.

9:00 p.m. Red carpet arrivals for CineVegas Closing Party/VEGAS Magazine Anniversary Party were Katharine McPhee, Dennis Hopper, Bai Ling, Criss Angel, Kim Kardashian, Caroline D’Amore, Steven Jackson, and Sir Ben Kingsley – all safely ensconced in the roped-off VIP area.

The VEGAS Magazine party is always such a grand affair whether or not stars are in attendance.

The spectacular party was held at the glistening pool complex at Mandalay Bay Beach at Mandalay Bay. This extravagant VIP pool party – always the diamond of CineVegas events - put guests directly on the sand and just feet from crashing waves on 11 acres of tropical-inspired bliss. The Bay Beach recent $30 million-dollar expansion includes the city’s only beachside casino, coupled with the purest of white sand, picture perfect waves and cool blue water. Mandalay Bay Beach is the epitome of waterside indulgence set in the Nevada desert! What decadence!

In summary: Next year will mark CineVegas 10th year, an important achievement considering Las Vegas is not considered a big movie market by Hollywood studio standards. Robin and Danny Greenspun are largely responsible for making CineVegas a success that might be changing Hollywood’s collective mind about Las Vegas’ ranking. Every screening was nearly sold-out or sold-out. I did miss past CineVegas 90-minute panel discussions called “Outlaw Cinema Panel.” Past years had screenwriter Jerry Stahl, author James Ellroy, and actor/director Bobcat Goldthwait (pictured) as panel guests.

The films selected were quite varied and international in scope. With a huge staff and 180 plus volunteers, the 9th CineVegas Film Festival ran smoothly and efficiently.